Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-05-05

sons room, when, as have said, her
husbands sudden reference to the loss
OF the cloak caused a new idea to occur
to him, which brought the incident just
narrated freshly to mind, and sent him
rushing from the room. Not only this,
but, growing into an almost certainty
as he hurried along, it added such
speed to his flying feet that, on his ar
rival at Potter's, in a flushed and
heated condition, Tad stumbled almost
head-frst against the small, silent man
who had been Mr.. Atherton's fellow
passenger, as he was walking the piazza
with cigar in his mouth. Hastily ex-
cusing himself, Tad burst into the Of
flee, where Mr.. Potter, who weighed
nearly three hundred pounds, was sit
ting in his shirt-sleeves, reading the
NeU England Farmer.
"Say, Mr.. Potter" gasped Tad,
breathlessly, show long has Joe been
gone with that person-passenger
the long black cloak?"
"Eh?" responded Mr.. Potter, look
ing up from his paper and speaking
with aggravating deliberation, show
long? Leinme see. Mira" raising
his voice for the benefit of his wife, in
the other room, show longs that young
Whitney ben away with that air lady
passenger-the one in such a tremen-
dous hurry to git to MiddleborrerP"
Tad, with feverish Impotence.
awaited the answer. The small man
| on the piazza, near the open door, must
have been of rather inquisitive nat
ure; for, holding his cigar between his
fingers, and his head little to one
side, he, too, seemed to listen for Mrs.
Potter's response.
"Pretty nigh half n hour" called
Mrs. Potter, through the half-open
door. ''Why, who wants to know"
"Me-Tad Thorne, Mrs. Potter" ex-
claimed Tad, in an agitated voice, and
oh, Mr.. Potter! Uo1't you have the sor-
rel mare put right in quick, so 1 can
drive off after her-I mean him
dressed up in Mrs. Mason's cloak, and
catch 'em before he-she-gets to Mid
dleboro!''
"Why, what on earth is the matter
with you?" demanded Mrs. Potter, with
some asperity, as she bounced into the
office.
"It's that Forrest = his name is
Jones-I mean Edwards" poor Tad
exclaimed, incoherently, "he's stole
Mr.. Atherton's handbag, full OF
di'muns and papers, and dressed up in
Mrs. Mason's clothes and cloak
s.Mr Potterr interrupted a quick
and somewhat imperious voice, pro-
ceeding from the smoker of the piazza,
who, finging his cigar aside, suddenly
appeared inside the door, shave your
fastest horse put into a light buggy,
and be quick about it," And in the
voice, as well as its owner, Tad, with a
great thrill of joy, recognized City De-
tective Blossom, who, it will be re
membered, had caused Mr.. Jones tc
restore the little alligator-skin sache
to Tad, in the streets of Boston, a long
time before.
"Tell him the sorrel mare, Mr.
Blossom" cried Tad, who was wildly
excited; "she can trot ever so much
faster than Brown Pete-and oh
please let me 60, toor'
The detective glanced sharply al
Tad, and nodded. "You can co." he
said, briefly. ''The sorrel mare, Mr.
Potter, and be quick about it," he
added; and, greatly bewildered, Mr.
Potter bawled his directions to hi:
wife, who repeated them from the bach
window to the hostler, in the stable
yard.
.How was it?" asked Mr.. Blossom
in his curt way, as Tad followed hin
out on the piazza. And Tad succeeded
in giving a tolerably succinct accoun
of the robbery and leading circum
stances which had made him almos
positive as to the guilty person.
"Smart boy" the detective re
marked, approvingly, as the bugg,
ratified round to the door; ''jump inn
And, springing after Tad, Mr.. Blossom
snatched the reins from the hostler'
hands, chirruped to the sorrel mare
and they were Off
ats straight road to Middleboro-
only one HILL" gasped Tad, who's
breath was almost taken away by tn
rapidity with which the light bugg.
was being whirled along behind tn
nimble heels of the sorrel mare. A
long as he lives he will never forge
that night drive over the level, dust.
highway, lined on either side by tn
dense piny growth peculiar to the New
England States. The moon wa
nearly full, and as it gradually ros
above the tree-tops great patche
> of alternate light and shadows wer
: thrown across the road. Mr.. Bios
som, whose thin, keen face did no
show the slightest trace of emotion, sa
bolt-upright on the buggy-seat, wit
feet firmly braced, his short muscula
L arms extended straight out befor
him, as rigid as bars of steel from tn
tautened reins, which were wound i
one turn about each of his small, mel
, vous hands.
Evidently Mr.. Blossom not onl
l knew how to drive but how to get a
possible speed out of the sorrel mare
With her small ears laid back and he
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